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Japan in Pictures

If you have ever held a Japanese women’s magazine in hands at one of the many book stores in Japan, you might have noticed how big some of them are. But it probably didn’t take long for you to figure out, why. Women’s magazines try to get your attention not only by providing the best…

Being able to discover beauty in the most unlikely places is one thing I really love about Japan. Hidden alleys, temples and shrines, little gardens in front of houses, juxtaposition of tradition and modern structures. Something that immediately caught my eye on my first trip to Japan were the colorful manhole covers with different designs…

Shoutengai is the japanese term for “shopping street” or “shopping district” and surely you know such a place in your hometown as well. The Shoutengai here in Japan often are blocked from traffic and housed under a long covering roof. The size of the Shoutengai vary from very small to unbelievably large. If you have…

When I was a kid, my father showed me all the books and souvenirs about and from Japan, among it a few coins. So the 5 Yen Coin has a significant meaning for me personally, because it was the very first japanese coin I ever saw or held. But the 5 Yen coin actually holds…

Standing in line, waiting for your turn, is something many people abhor – me being one of them. At least, that is, before I came to Japan. Waiting in line for an hour or more, to eat lunch or dinner? Sure, if the food is good or the store has been recommended. Sometimes I even…

Osechi ryouri are traditional New Year foods in Japan, that have been around since the Heian period. Every dish has a meaning, such as ebi (prawns) as a symbol for long life, kuro-mame (black beans) for health or konbu (seaweed) for joy. Making all those different dishes by yourself takes a lot of time and…

Every child in Japan (and every adult as well) knows Doraemon, the blue robot cat without ears, who can pull gadgets for every occasion from its pocket. Have you heard of Doraemon, maybe even seen episodes of the anime in your home country? Advertisements

If I post one picture a day it would take years to show you each and every one of the thousands of pictures I have stored away on my hard drive and various hard disks. And since I won’t stop making photos, it would never end. So why not put those photos to good use…

The first place we visited after I arrived in Osaka was the Ôsaka-jô, the castle that towers over Ôsaka. Unfortunately we were yet again not able to visit the inside, because it was closed for visitors. Though it was rebuild using mainly concrete the outside is beautiful and I am curious what it looks like…